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Gather around power-level enthusiasts and tournament fighters, because this week on Play Comics we’re charging up our ki and diving headfirst into the legendary slugfest that is Dragon Ball Z: Budokai for PS2 and GameCube. That’s right, we’re looking at the 2002 fighting game that asked the burning question “What if we took the first three arcs of Dragon Ball Z and squeezed them into a button-mashing experience that makes even the most patient Z-Fighter want to go Super Saiyan with frustration?”

Developed by Dimps and published by Infogrames (back when they still existed and weren’t just a nostalgic memory floating in gaming’s hyperbolic time chamber), this cel-shaded beatdown promised to let players experience everything from Raditz’s surprise family reunion to Cell’s perfectionist power trip. What it delivered was a fighting system so basic that even Yamcha could probably figure it out, paired with enough beam struggles to make your thumbs file for workers’ compensation.

Joining us for this Saiyan-sized discussion is the one and only Doc Issues from Capes on the Couch, because when you need someone to analyze the psychological implications of repeatedly punching people until they explode into light particles you call a professional. Together we’ll explore how this game managed to compress roughly 100 episodes of screaming, power-ups, and “next time on Dragon Ball Z” frustrating end caps into a tournament format that somehow made sense.

So grab your orange gi, practice your best Kamehameha stance, and prepare for an episode that’s over 9000 times more entertaining than waiting five episodes for Goku to finish charging his spirit bomb. Will this manga-to-game adaptation achieve its final form? Or will it get sent to Other World faster than you can say “Kakarot”? Time to find out if this Z-Fighter deserves a senzu bean or a one-way ticket to Snake Way!Continue Reading

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Gather ‘round, Dragon Ball devotees and gluttons for punishment! This week on Play Comics, we’re subjecting ourselves to the digital equivalent of getting hit by Frieza’s Death Beam repeatedly-Dragon Ball Z Taiketsu for the Game Boy Advance. Imagine taking the most explosive anime franchise in history and cramming it into a game with all the fiery intensity of a damp firecracker. Spoiler alert: This isn’t a battle for glory-it’s a battle for survival against one of the most bafflingly awful licensed games ever conceived.

Joining me in this masochistic quest is Andrew Young from Behold!, who’s agreed to lend his expertise (and his remaining sanity) to dissect this pixelated travesty. Together, we’ll answer the burning question: How did a game about planet-destroying superhumans end up feeling as thrilling as watching paint dry on Master Roshi’s houseboat? Hint: It involves more clipping issues than Yamcha’s career and combat mechanics flatter than Krillin’s scalp.

From animations that resemble a PowerPoint presentation gone rogue to a soundtrack that sounds like a kazoo orchestra trapped in a washing machine, Taiketsu doesn’t just drop the ball-it spikes it into the core of the Earth, unleashes a Spirit Bomb of disappointment, and then forgets to animate the explosion. Whether you’re here for the schadenfreude or just morbid curiosity, grab your Dragon Radar and a stiff drink. This episode’s gonna hurt. A lot.Continue Reading

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Attention Earthlings and Saiyans alike! Power up your podcasting devices to over 9000 because it’s time for another electrifying episode of Play Comics! Today we’re diving headfirst into the pixelated world of Dragon Ball Z Legendary Super Warriors on the Game Boy Color. Prepare for a journey through time space and nostalgic handheld gaming that’ll make your hair stand on end (and possibly turn golden).

Joining us on this epic quest is none other than our legendary recurring guest Karrington Martin from K&K Indie Gaming Corner. He’s back faster than you can say “Instant Transmission” ready to unleash his wealth of knowledge like a perfectly timed Spirit Bomb.

So grab your senzu beans, polish your dragon balls, and get ready to explore a game that squeezed the entire DBZ saga into a tiny cartridge. It’s time to go beyond the manga pages and into the realm of pocket-sized martial arts mayhem. Let’s see if this game is truly legendary or if it’ll leave us wishing for the dragon to grant us a better adaptation!Continue Reading

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Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z were the introduction to anime for a ton of people my age. So imagine how cool it must have been to finally have a game of it? And a fighter at that! What could possibly go wrong?

Listen in as Luke Herr from Multiversal Q, Exiled, and RPG Pals Club comes on the show to talk about the first Dragon Ball Z game made that came out in North America, but not the first one that came out in North America. Don’t worry the craziness is just getting started.Continue Reading